From a young age, social injustice, particularly sexual assault and abuse crimes have held a significant space in my heart. Growing up, sexual assault grasped my family, my loved ones, and myself. I have lived in the quiet, lonely places where shame, guilt, and lies grasped every part of me. Eventually, I was forced into surrendering everything I was to the only Thing that could even possibly bring me out of such a place. Through time, patience with myself, and understanding of my identity given by a good and merciful God, I picked up my cross and followed God with a mere (at the time) understanding of the cross that Jesus already bore for me. The lies that once comforted me no longer felt like home, as they never should have. Now, my heart breaks for His people and those who do not call Him “home”. That means speaking out against the silent killers of our generation so that we may lay a new path for those who follow.
The Butterfly Effect is a phenomenon that ties even the smallest action to a substantial consequence. It comes from the thought that the movement of a butterfly is able to create natural disasters across the world. A simple flap of the wings is enough to cause hurricanes, tsunamis, and tornados. What if we apply another seemingly harmless action to a worldwide disaster? Porn has been around just about as long as digital technology has, our accessibility growing as technology becomes modernized. To many, it does not seem like a big deal to watch what has been almost normalized by society. If we pick apart this toxic normalization, we will see how porn has parasitic ties to sex slavery.
One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 4:23. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” The things we watch and expose ourselves to directly impacts the condition of our heart and how we interact with others. An estimated 90% of boys under 18, and 60% of girls under 18, have seen porn whether intentionally or not (Fight the New Drug). At an age where teens are still finding who they are within themselves and society, pornography is seeping into their culture. Many young men and little boys are viewing porn as an instructional for what sex is supposed to look like. A common theme of porn is that it often portrays women in submissive, degrading, and sometimes dangerous roles. Often times, men begin to imitate these false depictions of sex, thinking that the abuse and perversion of sexual experiences is acceptable. Little girls and young women who view porn can eventually begin to believe that in order to be wanted, they have to look a certain way, do the things they see on screen or sound a particular way. Perhaps being wanted means allowing men to abuse them the way they have seen on screen.
Young children are growing up, believing the lies of porn that carry into believing lies about who we are or are not in God’s Kingdom. We have a worth problem. When we do not find worth in ourselves, we do not properly address the worth of others. That is why it is so easy to look upon a screen of a website that is perverting and degrading men and women, fathers and mothers, daughters and sons, and those in relationships. Sex was intended to be a sacred GOOD thing between husband and wife. It was never meant to be recorded and used for secondhand lust that ultimately molds our hearts into the silent killer called ”shame”; an ugly cycle of inward turmoil.
When we, as society, watch porn, we are igniting someone else’s personal hell. Sex slavery, also referred to as human trafficking, is exploitation of people due to threat, a false financial obligation, or force. Many porn actors and actresses work in the industry as means for primary income. With this being said, how many actors and actresses are involved in scenes that they do not want to do (which without full consent, is considered rape)? As hard as it is to think about, many of the actions in these videos are not fully consented to, but are done anyways because any disruption could result in financial loss. Because people still watch porn, porn is still made and human beings are still trapped in a prison of financial obligation.
When porn fantasizes rape, which some videos do, there is an even deeper level of concern. Across the United States, millions of people are being sexually exploited electronically. Porn holds a vast responsibility. When people are being trafficked, it is common for “Johns”, the men who pay for sex, to expect certain false idealizations re-enacted between them and someone who is being held captive by a pimp. They show up with pictures of things they expect to be done to and with them. This is especially troubling when porn frequently features videos that reenact rape. Many of these men harbor an issue with power, which they are able to release upon their victims, even those who are children. When porn isn’t enough, when men are no longer fulfilled by the now dull fantasy of rape provided by porn, they turn to the rape of human trafficking victims.
Our generation has a responsibility to do something. We are the butterflies. We are no longer able to claim ignorance. What if we refuse to consume the support of rape culture? What if we help those around us see that they are worth more than a sex worker and more than a consumer? What if we love each other through empathy instead of judgement? What if we choose transparency and truthful conversations? For those of you who struggle with porn, know that shame, guilt, and the enemy’s lies have no place in your heart. Jesus already took care of that. You are not too far gone. I wasn’t.
Love, Sabrina
Sabrina is a student at Florida State studying Psychology to become a religious sexual assault therapist for children and teens. Her top passions include her cat, Magenta, singing, listening to testimonies, and human trafficking advocacy. Her words for this new season are transparency and vulnerability, as she is constantly realizing just how important they are in fellowship and bringing others to Christ.
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